There are many simple ways to save all around the house. Sometimes we overlook them though and just get caught up in our usual habits. These easy to implement tips can help not only save money, but also keep life more manageable to a greater extent by removing some of the chaos in various ways. We need to also remember with these tips and other tips that saving money works best when we have a mind-set change. Here are some adaptable tips and mindsets that can help you save around the house for good. Please use what you think will work for you; you do not have to use them all, or use these tips to give you new ideas on how to even better save money.

Decorations

Decorations in and around a house can really make it a home, but so many times it gets over done and looks cluttered instead. If you decide you want to bring in a new decoration, really stop and think about if you will still enjoy that item in 5-10+ years, or if will you just be wanting another ‘latest decoration’ for that season. Further more, think about where in the home will it go, and will it make that space look cluttered or complete? Making sure your home has a style that you will enjoy for many years will help with this (example: Mountain Cabin, Southwestern, Coastal, Modern, Minimal, etc.).

When considering how many decorations should be in a home, less is better. (This is coming from someone who studied interior design and architecture in college). Decorations should be statement pieces in a room that can help bring a theme, and it should not be competing with all of the other statement pieces in that room. This thought can also be used for furniture and rugs.

Rather than shopping for new decorations, reorganize the decorations in your home, and even outside in your garden. This can give your home a new look while still saving you money.

Laundry

Dryer sheets, fabric softener, and scent booster beads are not needed for laundry. They are extra additives to make your clothes smell even better and feel softer than laundry detergent alone. They do not help the laundry get cleaner though. Most laundry soaps have a scent already, and if you have perfume/body spray/cologne, you do not need the extra scents in your laundry. Too many different scents, and too much of any scent can be overwhelming to you, or others around you. To keep your outfit feeling soft, wash it more delicately in cold water and hang it to dry. This also helps keep the garment from wearing out faster. Not using any of these products also saves you a good portion of money as you only need to buy laundry detergent.

If your electric bill has times of the day where it charges more per kilowatt than other times of the day, considering switching your schedule around to do laundry during a not as high-priced time of the day. (This can also apply to cooking/baking). Laundry can take up a lot of energy which makes the electric bill go up a lot.

Bedding & Towels

People tend to replace bedding every couple of years, and have many sets of sheets. Use what you have until it all wears out, and when you replace your sheets remember that only one or two remarkable sets of sheets are needed per bed (maybe up to 3 if you live in a climate where you need flannel). Quality matters more than quantity, as the quality will last longer and cost less in the long run. Comforters can also be included in this; one comforter per bed is enough. The mental strategy here is knowing “I have enough, and I don’t need extra ‘just in case’ bedding.”

Only a couple of towels are needed per person, so don’t replace towels as they wear out until you are down to just a couple of towels per person. This is one where we can help ourselves think “I have enough and these are great” because we do have enough, instead of always buying more because we fear ‘not having enough’ or ‘the look of this item needs to be different and with today’s trend.’

Our culture puts too much pressure on making sure we have more than enough, and it always has to be new. If you have to buy something, make sure that you will really enjoy for years to come, and don’t worry about comparing yourself to others and what they have or do not have.

Kitchen Appliances

Choose what appliances you buy carefully. Most people do not use all of the following: air fryer, crock pot, conventional oven, bread maker, panini maker, etc. Most people have one or two they use a lot, and then maybe another one or two they use every now and then. I personally only use my coffee maker and blender daily, and then beaters and crockpot on occasion. Buying all of the kitchen appliances is a waste of money, kitchen space, and can make the home look more cluttered. (This can even extend to spatulas, measuring cups, mixing bowls, etc.) Only buy what you really will use a lot, or just enjoy cooking with the stovetop and oven. That alone can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

This is one where keeping the mindset of ‘I have enough’ and ‘I don’t need to keep up/compete with everyone else’ can really help you not want to spend money on those extra items. The latest cooking appliance fads will fade with time also (as everything becomes popular in different phases/fads).

Dishware

This includes cups and silverware. How many cups, travel mugs, plates, spoons, etc. do you need? It is so easy to see a cute mug in the store and buy it without even thinking about it. That few dollars here and there adds up though. On top of that, now we have to store it with the 50 other coffee mugs we don’t really use because we only use our favorite few mugs.

Remember with dishware, coffee mugs, and even objects outside of the kitchen that when you buy it, it is not just the initial purchase price of the item. It is also the price of storing, taking care of the item (cleaning it, maintenance if applicable), and the mental aspect of having another item in your home/life.

Unplug & Turn Off

When not in use, unplug the TV, coffee maker, lamps, etc. Even when the electronics are off, they still pull a bit of power. Also, turn off lights when not in a room, and change the A/C and heat settings to not waste as much power and lower your electric bill when you are not home. (Obviously, if you have pets, please keep it to a temperature they will be comfortable at). All that power can add up to help run up the electric bill some, not to mention is wasteful to the environment.

Subscriptions

Limit, or even have zero subscriptions. Even an $8 per month subscription adds up to $96 per year, which is an easy almost $100 saved right there. Likewise, I personally have found this super helpful as we are already trodden with so many advertisements and things calling our hard-earned money. This includes email subscriptions about ‘deals’ and offers, which helps us save even more money because we are no longer even tempted to buy what we do not need or have FOMO (fear of missing out) triggered when we see the advertisement ‘deal.’

Movies & Books

How many movies do we really watch? We tend to buy them when they first come out, and not re-watch many of them often, if ever. Our culture also tends to be guilty of watching a ton of TV/movies instead of having hobbies, being more productive, or spending that time with family/friends – having true quality time and forming a closer bond is important, which cannot happen when we watch movies/TV instead of talking to each other and doing actual activities together. Not buying many movies (if any) can help us save money, and spend more time doing other things we enjoy.

Instead of buying books, we can rent them from the library, or if we really like that book, buy it second hand. A lot of us only read the books once and then they just sit on the shelves. Instead of spending $20 or so here and there for books which can add up real fast, visit your local library and check out the books there.

Conclusion:

Not buying the items with ‘deals’ on them even helps save the environment of waste because if they come into our homes, they eventually end up in the landfills. And what may come as a convenience can be added harm to the environment. If we focus on being happy with what we have, not being bombarded by what society tells us we need, then it is easier to save money because we now see that item as a ‘wasteful purchase,’ and no money spent is everything saved.

If your goal is to save money, being mindful of how you live your life and what you choose to buy or not buy for the home, can really make a difference in helping you save. Alternately, we can save money by choosing to buy less and enjoy what we already own. It is a mindset difference more than anything else; not worrying about the other people, stay focused on your goals, and do not worry what others think or have (they could be maxed out with debt anyways, only they know their finances). The more we make saving a goal a priority with respectable reasons in mind, the easier it will be to use these tips and others to save money.